Pages

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Day #28- OPENING DAY!

It's Thursday, March 28th.

The 28th day of slicing. Only three more to go.

Even more important than that, it's Opening Day.

The Colorado Rockies face off against the Florida Marlins at 2:10 MDT.

Kyle Freeland, our hometown ace, 17-7 last year, and finished fourth in the Cy Young voting, will be pitching against Jose Urena, who is making his second straight Opening Day start.

I can't wait!

I love, love, love baseball. I'm not sure where this passion came from- growing up, no one else in my family was particularly a baseball fan. We did, however, go to Wrigley Field to see the Cubs play almost every summer, when we went to Chicago to see my grandmother.

The Colorado Rockies came into being in 1991, while I was living in New Hampshire. In 1995, about the time I moved back to Colorado, Coors Field opened. Shortly after that, several of my neighbors and I bought season tickets. We split the package, and each of us went to about a third of the games.  I loved going. Sometimes, if the team wasn't very good, I would have a hard time finding someone to accompany me by the end of the season. I went anyway.

In 2003, I adopted my sons, and my life changed dramatically. They didn't like baseball, for one. Not to play (I tried to get them interested!) and not to watch. It was expensive and not all that fun to take them, and so I became a radio Rockies fan.

Two years ago, I started going to games again. That year, I think I went to two games.

Last year, I was determined to go to more. I have two friends at work, Kathy and Aaron, who are also baseball fans. The three of us are an unlikely trio- Kathy and I are in our sixties, close to retiring, the mothers of grown sons. Kathy's son, Daniel, actually played baseball in high school with Kyle Freeland, our starting pitcher today. Kathy's husband, Ed, doesn't particularly care for baseball, and has never opted to go with us, although Kathy regularly invites him.

Aaron, the third member of our baseball crew, is in his mid-thirties, young and handsome, and lots of fun. I never quite understood why he would put up with hanging out with two women old enough to be his mother, but I guess having companions for baseball is worth it, and we had a blast. Mid-season, Aaron got engaged. His fiancee, Victoria, is from Sweden. She didn't know much about baseball, but we have dragged her along with us, and now our trio has become a foursome. We went to seven or eight games together and texted our way through the rest of them.  I was sad when the season ended.

And now it's Opening Day again. The Rockies are playing in Florida, but you can bet I will have my radio on. Kathy and I are going to a game on April 23rd, and then I'm going again with the kids from school on April 24th.

Take me out to the ball game!

6 comments:

Margaret Simon said...

I'm sorry I haven't commented more this month. I found your blog through the PF round up for tomorrow. I am not a huge baseball fan but my dad is. Don't dare call during an LSU baseball game. He's offended when I don't even know one is going on. But when I spend time with him during baseball season, I become a fan.

Ramona said...

I've never been a baseball fan, it's just too slow. But I love watching basketball. I'm #2 in the family brackets, so I'll be watching some games this weekend.
What fun to have a foursome to go to games together. Enjoy today's game on the radio.

Shelly said...

I’m glad you found some people who enjoy baseball as much as you do! Age is just a number! Sounds like you all have a great time together. So fun! Love that your trio became a foursome. Enjoy baseball season!!!

Alice Nine said...

So good you have friends who love what you love. I watch when my husband watches and I enjoy watching with him. My oldest son served in many capacities on our local Taborvilla Little League for 20 years. Last year he decided to retire. Taborvilla Little League named their main field in his honor: Mike Nine Field https://alicenine.net/mike-nine-field/

Rose Cappelli said...

Found this post through Poetry Friday and a link from another slicer. I just had to comment since my poem for today is titled Opening Day. Good luck to the Rockies this year. My family and I enjoyed a wonderful time in Denver a few years back when we went to a Phillies game there.

Elisabeth Ellington said...

I love that you have a little group to go to games with! I am no baseball fan, but we did take our son to a Rockies game a few years ago, and I love the stadium there and the whole atmosphere. Basketball is my sport! (We usually come down for a Nuggets game at some point, though this year we decided to do something crazy and drive to OKC to see his fave team at their home stadium. It was such a great trip!)